A major earthquake measuring 8.0 Richter scale jolted Southwest China at 2:28 p.m. on May 12, 2008. The epicenter is Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province. The disaster deprived many people of their lives in a minute.
Just a moment, Chinese people woke up from the shock and were engaged in rescue and relief.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao went to the quake-hit areas to direct the rescue efforts immediately. Chinese President Hu Jintao went there to console people affected by the earthquake. PLA soldiers, rescue teams, doctors, nurses and volunteers are running to the quake-hit areas in Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Yunnan and Chongqing from various regions all over China. All of them are throwing themselves into the rescue and relief.
China's authorized department says Wenchuan earthquake has caused a death roll of 65,080, up to 12 a.m. May 26. 23,150 people are still listed as missing, and 360,058 others have been injured. However, up to 12 p.m. May 24, 638,305 people have been evacuated or relocated from the quake-hit areas. At the back of the increasing number of rescuees are the unremitting efforts of innumerous people. All Chinese people, overseas Chinese and many foreign people get together closely for Wenchun earthquake.
Chinese armies and rescue workers are rescuing people from earthquake ruins almost without rest in the continual aftershocks; food, medicines and other relief supplies are being sent to the quake-hit areas constantly; automobiles, trains and planes have to be overloaded; factories making relief supplies are working day and night; people are waiting in a long queue for blood donation; donations from all walks of life are increasing dramatically…
China and Chinese people are making great efforts to face and respond everything that brought by the sudden disaster.
Explanation of photos:
01. A major earthquake measuring 8.0 Richter scale jolted Wenchuan, Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008. From this photo of Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County, we can hardly find any complete building after the disaster.
02. On May 16, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao went to the quake-hit areas to console people affected by the strong earthquake.
03. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao went to the quake-hit areas to direct the rescue efforts immediately. He is tightly hugging two children that escaped with their lives from the fallen houses when talking to others.
04. On May 18, 2008, carrying relief supplies on their shoulders, Chinese PLA soldiers walked for more than 10 kilometers in the quake-hit Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province.
05. The body of a student of a middle school in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province was found. The relatives of the victim are in deep sorrow.
06. By using the life detectors, Shanghai rescue team found the signs of life in the ruins in Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County. After more than 10 hours of great efforts, a 20 years old man Jiang Yuhang was rescued successfully. He has lived in the ruins for 124 hours before rescue.
07. On May 17 2008, army airmen go to Qingping Township, Mianzhu City that located in remote mountains to take serious injured people out to downtown for treatment.
08. On May 17, 2008, rescue teams are keeping searching for survivors in Beichuan County.
09. On May 16, 2008, China Air Force men are airdropping relief supplies to the quake-hit areas in Sichuan Province. In recent days, Air Force has dispatched large transport aircrafts continually to airdrop lots of urgently need medicines, food, tents and other supplies day and night.
10. On May 16, 2008, on the site of Zipingba, an area between Dujiangyan City and Wenchuan County, PLA soldiers are carrying relief supplies to boats. The relief supplies shall be sent to the temporary shelters of people affected by the strong quake.
11. On May 15, 2008, Chinese PLA has rescued 33 visitors coming from U.K. France, U.S.A. and other countries from one of the worst-hit areas Wolong, Sichuan Province by helicopters.
12. After the major earthquake jolted Sichuan on May 12, 2008, staffs of Wolong National Nature Reserve has transferred pandas to safe area immediately. State Forestry Administration and Forestry Department of Sichuan Province have urgently allocated food and medicines for pandas and tents and other relief supplies for staffs there. With great efforts, all these supplies have been transferred to Wolong National Nature Reserve bypassing the interrupted areas.
13. After Wenchuan earthquake, China has received great help from International Community. This photo shows a special plane carrying international relief supplies arrived at Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
14. After the strong earthquake jolted China, Russia, Japan, Korea, Singapore and other countries have dispatched professional relief teams to the quake-hit areas in China. This photo shows on May 16, 2008. Japanese relief team members are carrying out search and rescue efforts in the quake-hit areas in Qingchuan County.
15. According to the 11th meeting of State Council's earthquake relief headquarters on May 22, 2008, 1 million temporary dwellings shall be built in Sichuan Province in 3 months. 1 centralized water supply site, 1 toilet and 1 garbage collection site shall be equipped for every 50 set of temporary dwellings; 1 elementary school, 1 clinic and 1 food and commodities retail center shall be equipped for every 1,000 temporary dwellings. Ministry of Health has dispatched great number of professionals to carry out disease prevention and control work in the quake-hit areas. This photo shows the people affected by earthquake are properly arranged and accommodated.
16. On May 19, 2008, in the Jiuzhou Stadium in Mianyang City, children from the quake-hit areas are having their first class after the earthquake. The teacher is a volunteer for psychological relief. She plays games with children there to relieve their tension and shadow after the disaster.
17. On May 14, 2008, an elementary school in Haozhou City, Anhui Province holds a donation. Some 3,000 pupils donate their pocket money to children in the quake-hit areas. They hope them can get through the hard times and resume to their living as soon as possible.
18. The State Council has declared May 19-21 a "National Mourning Day". During the mourning period, all national flags fly at half-mast at home and at Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, and public recreational activities are halted. At 2:28 p.m. on May 19, Chinese citizens nationwide stand in silence for three minutes. Meanwhile, air raid sirens and horns of automobiles, trains and ships also mark the tragic moment. This photo shows on May 19, 2008, the national flag at Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing was lowered to half-mast to mourn the victims of "Wenchuan Earthquake".